Microsoft misjudges customer loyalty with kill-XP plea

Microsoft grossly overestimated the loyalty of those it thought were its most steadfast customers when it asked them to help get friends and family members to dump Windows XP, a corporate communications expert said.

From Computerworld:

Microsoft grossly overestimated the loyalty of those it thought were its most steadfast customers when it asked for their help in getting friends and family members to dump Windows XP, a corporate communications expert said Friday.

"There's nothing wrong with asking your customers for help," said Gene Grabowski, an executive vice president at Levick, a Washington, D.C. firm that specializes in crisis public relations and corporate reputation messaging. "But you have to establish loyalty before you ask them, and even then you have to structure [the request] so there is a distinct advantage to the customer."